The next morning, James was halfway through a bowl of rice porridge in the guild's modest kitchen when Olivia set a folded parchment in front of him.
"No slimes today," she said.
He looked up. "Thank the gods."
"You'll be hunting horned rabbits instead."
James paused, spoon hovering over the bowl. "The ones with the… actual horns?"
"That's why they're worth more than slime cores." Olivia leaned against the counter, arms crossed. "They're small, fast, and not afraid to charge if you miss. Which, given your aim yesterday, is going to be… interesting."
James groaned. "Still no official quests?"
Her expression tightened. "Not yet. Until word gets out that Silver Phantom is reliable, we're stuck hunting and selling whatever we can to keep the lights on."
An hour later, they were on the grassy outskirts west of Iguro, where the fields rose into gentle hills. The horned rabbits here were the size of small dogs, their fur a dusty brown that blended with the tall grass. A single, sharp ivory horn sprouted from their foreheads.
Olivia crouched, scanning the terrain. "They'll bolt if you get too close, but if you spook them the wrong way, they'll charge. Watch the horn—it can pierce leather if you're careless."
James readied his staff. "Got it. Don't miss."
She smirked. "Easier said than done."
The first rabbit appeared like a flicker in the grass, ears twitching. James whispered Light Orb, the soft glow casting enough contrast for him to aim. He launched a Magic Missile—and missed by a full foot.
The rabbit's head snapped toward him. Its muscles tensed.
"Oh no."
It launched forward like a spring trap, horn first. James barely threw up Mana Shield in time—the impact jolted his arm and made his teeth rattle.
"That," Olivia called from a safe distance, "was a warning!"
James scowled, casting Gust. The burst of wind threw the rabbit sideways, buying him a second chance. This time, the Magic Missile hit true, striking the creature's side. It collapsed, the horn clattering against a rock.
By the end of the afternoon, James had managed to take down three rabbits—not a spectacular haul, but enough for Olivia to nod in grudging approval as they walked back.
"Better than yesterday," she admitted. "Still sloppy, but better."
"Great," James said, rubbing his sore arm. "So… tomorrow, are we hunting wolves? Dragons?"
Olivia's faint smile didn't comfort him. "No. Tomorrow, we wait. The real work comes when the first client walks through our doors."
Back in town, the Silver Phantom's sign still swayed in the wind, waiting for that first knock on the door that would decide their fate.